Cucumber - Tags and Filters

Cucumber: Tags and Filters Explained

Cucumber is a popular Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) framework that uses tags and filters to organize and execute tests effectively. Tags are custom labels that you can assign to scenarios, features, or feature files to categorize them. Filters allow you to control which tagged tests are executed, enabling you to manage large test suites efficiently.

What are Cucumber Tags?

Tags in Cucumber are prefixed with @ and can be placed above any Scenario, Scenario Outline, or Feature keyword in a feature file. They help group related tests together or mark tests based on their priority, type, or functionality.

Example:


                  @login
                  Feature: User Login
              
                    @positive
                    Scenario: Valid user login
                      Given the user is on the login page
                      When they enter valid credentials
                      Then they should be redirected to the dashboard
              
                    @negative
                    Scenario: Invalid user login
                      Given the user is on the login page
                      When they enter invalid credentials
                      Then an error message should be displayed

What are Filters?

Filters are used to execute specific subsets of tests based on their tags. Filters are applied via the command line or configuration files and support logical operators to combine multiple tags effectively.

Common Filtering Options:

  • --tags @tagname: Runs all scenarios with the specified tag.
  • --tags "@tag1 and @tag2": Runs scenarios with both tags.
  • --tags "@tag1 or @tag2": Runs scenarios with either tag.
  • --tags "not @tagname": Excludes scenarios with the specified tag.

Real-World Scenario:

Consider a banking application with hundreds of test cases, including login, fund transfer, and account management. To ensure faster execution during development, you can use tags to focus on specific areas.

Example Tags:
  • @login: Scenarios related to user authentication.
  • @smoke: A small set of critical tests to verify core functionality.
  • @regression: A comprehensive set of tests for major releases.
  • @high-priority: Tests that cover high-risk areas.
Execution Command:

To run only the smoke tests: 

cucumber --tags @smoke

To exclude regression tests during a quick check: 

cucumber --tags "not @regression"

Benefits of Tags and Filters

  • Improved test organization and categorization.
  • Faster execution by focusing on relevant tests.
  • Flexibility in test management for different stages of the development lifecycle.
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